Violent act while intoxicated

Despite knife attack and scar “stay a friend”

Salzburg courthouse, seat of the regional court(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

Two people from Lungau were drinking beer together when a bloody incident occurred: a serious wound to the neck caused by a knife. But nobody really knows how it happened. The accused perpetrator, who also saved lives, received a partially suspended prison sentence in Salzburg. 

December 2nd in a rural village in Lungau. It was 10 o'clock in the morning when the cell phone of the accused Lungauer (56) rang. "I called him to see if we wanted to drink beer together," the victim recounts as a witness at the trial on Wednesday in the regional court, describing the accused as a friend: "We often helped each other." He had a crate of beer with him that day, and the defendant also served a honey wine.

Alcohol, jokes and a stab
They talked, discussed and apparently also joked - because a stupid joke about the daughter of the defendant's partner made the man angry, the victim remembers. But the drinking continued, an acquaintance even dropped by for a bottle and left again.

We assume that my client caused the wound. But how? We don't know that either. I don't think it was intentional, but he's very sorry.

Verteidiger Kurt Jelinek beim Prozess

Suddenly, at around 3 p.m., the emergency services received a call for help: a bleeding wound on his neck, inflicted with a knife. Stab, cut? Neither the victim nor the perpetrator can remember the details. Both were up to three per mille drunk. The only thing that is certain is that the accused had pressed the bleeding wound closed after the crime and thus probably saved the victim's life. A paramedic also testified to this. And the victim also said: "I am glad that he intervened and saved my life."

The man from Lungau accepted the defendant's apology: Both shook hands, hugged each other briefly and trial attendees still heard the words, "Nevertheless, ma Freind remain." After the confession for intentionally causing grievous bodily harm, the judge handed down two years in prison, six of which were unconditional.